Crash and Burn
by Little Miss. Anonymous
Summary: Sequel to "Growing Desires". Keira starts a new life in the notorious Kras City. There she tries to build a name for herself as the city's #1 mechanic but can she survive long enough to see her dreams come true? Or will this city eat her alive?


**A/N:** Hello everyone, this my second Jak and Daxter fanfic. Hopefully this one won't take as long to complete as my first story. Like it says in the description "Crash and Burn" is a sequel to "Growing Desires" but I like to think that this story is more of a spin-off than a sequel since the main focus is Keira and not Jak and Ashelin. The story also takes place during _Jak X: Combat Racing_ but with a big change in the plot since Keira is no longer dating the main protagonist.

That said this is still a romance fanfiction, there will be a pairing later on in the story but I'm not telling who they are just yet. Also this fanfic is rated M for a reason! **There will be crude language, adult themes, and violence** in later chapters. You have been warned.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Jak and Daxter/2/3/X or the Lost Frontier. The property is rightfully owned by Naughty Dog.

**-Chapter One: On Her Own-**

"This place is a dump!" Keira's voice echoed through the large poorly lit garage. The fat bald man standing next to her said nothing; he was too busy counting the money Keira had given him before they went inside. She was seriously considering taking it back.

The garage looked ransacked and worn down. Paper and garbage littered the floor, empty barrels rusted in the far corner of the room, and old car parts were stacked in a small heap right in the middle of the room. It was obvious that this place hadn't been used in years, probably even a whole decade. The only upside was that the garage was very big. It even had a small room in the back that had its own shower and dinky kitchen. Keira cringed thinking about what the bathroom might look like.

"You told me this place was in top notch condition." Keira said to man still counting his money.

"And it is. This place has everything you've asked for and more." The fat man didn't even bother looking up at her. He looked like greasy sloth. His once white shirt was now beige, yellow stains can clearly be seen under his armpits and his jumper pants was a faded black color.

"This is not what we bargained for," she said angrily, "I want my money back."

"Listen kid," she hated when the man called her "kid," he hasn't once said her real name since they met a couple of weeks ago. "I gave you this place at very fair price and believe me this is the best you're going to get in this city."

He was right. Ever since Keira came to this city she's been searching high and low for a decent garage. Most of them were too small and too expensive. Others were a decent size but the prices were even more ridiculous then the smaller ones. Finally, through sheer luck, she found a garage that was up for sale at the amount she was willing to spend. From the pictures she saw in the ad it looked like her dream garage but in reality it was anything but.

Keira crossed her arms and huffed. She looked around the room and started to think whether or not she should go through with the deal. In her mind she started to weigh the pros and cons. Yes the place was very messy but it had everything she needed: alignment machines, car lifts, large open spaces, and so forth. And let's face it she was tired of looking for a place to live with no prevail. She was starting to get impatient, she wanted to move out of her hotel room and start a business already. Was little mess going to stop her from doing so?

She stood there for good five minutes before she said anything. She turned to the man who was now leaning against the wall, no doubt waiting for her answer.

"You got a deal." She said in a not so cheerful tone. "But it still feels like I was ripped off" she muttered to herself but it was loud enough for the man to hear.

He snorted and made his way to the door. "You got what you paid for, kid."

Keira heard the automatic door slide closed behind him and she let out of long deep sigh. Her excitement about opening up a garage in Kras City and becoming a hot shot mechanic like she was back in Haven began to dwindle. She didn't know what to expect when she came out here, she was at least hoping for a little hospitality.

Suddenly a burst of confidence flowed through her. _"I can do this."_ She thought to herself. She wasn't only a mechanic or some geeky petrolhead, she was genius and more than damn good at her job. She will be number one.

She started to look around the garage for a broom. The guys from storage won't be able to deliver her things until tomorrow, so she might as well get started on cleaning. She was surprised to see an old broom in the back near the office door. There was a pile of dirt were it looked like someone had started to sweep but given up half way through. It was probably the old sloth.

As she swept she started to think back on the day she first opened her garage in Haven. She was nervous when her first costumer, Errol, came in with a broken down zoomer. She wasn't familiar with the new technology of the future but as she examined the zoomer she realized how close it was to her original design she created back in the past. She fixed that bad boy up in no time and had it running better than before. Word about her expertise got around fast and costumers started lining up at her garage door in only a few short days after.

Erol may have been a frequent visitor but she'll never forget one of her favorite customers.

-o-o-o-o-

She didn't like him at first but she did like the sound of his voice. He sounded handsome but that didn't matter to her. He was just another scum bag who worked for Krew or so she thought. When she finally pulled aside the current that hung in her garage and saw that the mysterious voice belonged to Jak, she wanted to throw herself into his arms.

But something about him was… different. It wasn't his long greenish yellow hair, his new clothes, or his mature face. It was his personality. He wasn't the shy mute she fell in love with in Sandover Village. He was hostile, discourteous and so damn confident. She was afraid that he had changed, but the more she had spent time with him the more she realized that perhaps change was for the better.

"Keira, you got a moment?" Jak entered the garage.

Keira was bent over under the hood of a hellcat cruiser. "Sure, just give me a sec." She popped up stretching her arms up in the air; it felt like she was trying to fix that cruiser for hours. She grabbed an old ragged cloth and wiped the oil from her hands.

"What is it Jak?" She asked him. She noticed that Daxter wasn't with him. "Where's _orange lighting_?" She said. She almost wanted to giggle after saying that.

"I told him to wait outside. I wanted to talk to you in private, if that's alright?"

Keira felt a pinch in her gut. "Of course it is, is there something wrong?" She asked.

"Well no. I mean yes. Well kinda." Jak scratched the back of his head. Keira wanted to smile; it's been a while since she had seen him nervous.

Jak took a deep breath before he continued. "You seem kind of distant ever since I saw you recently."

"Sorry," Keira quickly said, "But I've been so busy trying to find a way to get us back to the past."

"I don't think that's the reason." Jak voice was in a more serious tone and it made Keira feel anxious. "It feels like you've been treating me differently, like I'm some sort of criminal or a monster."

She wanted to say yes, that he was a criminal and a monster. She heard all the rumors going around the city that Jak was Krew's right hand man and that he could change into a dark eco monster. She didn't want it to be true but it was. How could she possibly be close to a man like that?

Keira's silence told Jak exactly what she was thinking. He clenched his fist. "So that's why you've been avoiding me? You think I'm a freak too?"

Her eyes widen, "That's not true. It's just that… It's just…" She didn't want to say it.

"It's just what?" he asked but Keira didn't answer. She looked down at the floor clutching her dirty rag.

"I see how it is." Jak said in low voice, "You rather be with someone like Erol, a "real hero", like you said right?" Jak turned his back to her. "Fine, whatever."

He walked towards the exit and Keira stood there silent. Her mind screamed at her to say something, anything to keep him from leaving. But what could she say?

"It feels like I don't know you anymore!" She blurted out.

Jak stopped and turned around. "What do you mean?"

"Ever since we came to this stupid city nothing has been the same." Keira said throwing down the old rag, "When I saw you I thought you would at least be the same guy I remembered you to be. But this city has changed you." She hugged her arms. "I miss the old you."

Jak walked up to her and placed his hand on her arm. His hand felt so warm against her cool skin. "Keira, I haven't changed."

She looked into his blue eyes. "Yes you have."

He smiled, a reaction she wasn't expecting. "Maybe I have a little," Jak looked up thinking for moment before he looked back down at her, "but sometimes, when I look at you, I still feel like the same kid I was back in Sandover."

Keira had to wonder if that was true, if he truly felt that way or was he just saying that to make her feel better.

"There's one thing I know that definitely hasn't changed." He said.

"What's that?"

"The way I feel about you."

She was actually taken back at what he said. "Jak…" she whispered.

"And you're still a geek." He joked with a goofy smile.

She shoved him, "You're such a jerk." She couldn't help but smile too. She started to think that maybe the change in Jak wasn't such a bad thing. He didn't seem like such a bad guy after all. Maybe she was wrong about him.

Keira didn't realize how close Jak's face was to hers. She felt his hands on her bare hips pulling her body closer to his. _"Could this be it?"_ She thought to herself as she closed her eyes leaning closer to him. She could almost feel the touch of his lips.

"Oh brother," said the little orange furball standing in the room watching them. "If this moment gets any cheesier I'm going to need a bottle of wine." Daxter crossed his arms as if he was mother that just caught his son in the act.

Jak quickly moved away from Keira, his cheeks red in embarrassment. "Dax, I told you to wait outside."

"Yeah, yeah I know." He said uncaringly. "But if you remember we have a mission to complete and the clock is ticking." He lifted his wrist, tapping at his imaginary watch.

Keira cursed under her breath, oh how she wanted to strangle that little ottsel. He must have had this sixth sense to know when they were about to kiss and he always had to come in and ruin the moment.

Jak shoulders slumped, "Right, the mission." He said.

Daxter hopped onto Jak's shoulder almost too eager to leave. "Com'on Jak, let's go already."

Jak nodded and began to walk towards the exit but he stopped for moment to look at Keira. Her face was still a tint of red. "I'll be back soon." He smiled at her.

She nodded.

"Alright, hopefully we'll see that hot red head again right Jak?" Daxter said as they left the room.

Keira felt her insides turn. Why did Ashelin bother her so much?

-o-o-o-o-

Keira snapped out of her daze, she's been sweeping the same spot for over five minutes. The area around her eyes felt warm. She touched the side of her cheek and felt a bit of moisture on her finger tips. She's been crying again.

She started to remember the real reason why she came to Kras. She needed to get away. Away from her friends and family, away from hurtful memories, away from him. How else was she supposed to move on if she couldn't even bear to be in the same city as him?

Sure it was unfair to leave her friends and father behind but she never felt like she belonged in their world. Compared to everyone else Keira always felt like an outcast. Sometimes she believed that the only reason why they noticed her was when they needed something. They went off in their missions without even bothering to ask her to tag along. Did they think she couldn't handle it or that she just might get in their way?

Even Tess her closest and probably best friend she had in Haven seemed to had drifted away ever since she turned into an ottsel. She felt so alone.

Then it dawned on her. She was alone. Alone in a city she hardly knew anything about. She had no friends here, no connections, no one to save her when and if she gets into trouble. She began to panic. Fear washed over her like a black wave of despair. What was she supposed to do now? Why didn't she think this through from the beginning before she left Haven? Should she go back?

"No, no, no." Keira said aloud to herself, her voice once again echoed through the empty room. She reminded herself how strong and confident she was. She didn't need anyone to protect her or be by her side. She could survive in Kras City on her own, can't she?


End file.
